This is Exploring College Ministry

After ministering to college students for 8 years, I've spent the last 11 years trying to help push our whole field forward. This has all meant, among other things, a yearlong road trip, an e-book (Reaching the Campus Tribes), exploring 350+ campuses, consulting, writing, speaking, and more. I love any opportunity to serve college ministers or others who want to reach college students better.

Few churches actually “dumb it down” so much that an unchurched person would be completely clear on the procedure. I know that’s probably not what you’ve heard, as people mischaracterize / caricature Seeker-Sensitive churches. But most of those are simply “sensitive” or “user-friendly” and therefore smoothER for the unchurched. Few churches have removed all difficulties; like Seth, I think that’s okay.

On the other hand, few churches also make it easy to ask questions. Even fewer make it easy to find answers. (Those are not the same thing.)

His second conclusion, toward the end, is a little tougher to apply to churches. He encourages product-makers to be okay with products that lose the n00bs, that by their very features make it known that this particular product isn’t for you.

Of course, that’s tough to suggest when you’re talking specifically about churches. Do we really ever want to tell visitors that “this might just not be for you…”?

And of course, I’ve seen lots of churches that do this, whether they mean to or not.